Improvement in shoulder-straps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JAMES C. MERRITT, OF WEST POINT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDJOSEPH J. WALTON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHOULDER-STRAPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,061, dated June 17,1873 application filed October 22, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES 0. MERRITT, of West Point, in the county ofOrange and State of New York, have invented an Improved AttachmentforShoulder-Straps and Shoulder- Knots, of which the following is aspecification:

Shoulder straps and knots are usually attached to coats, jackets, &c.,by sewing, and sometimes by means of hooks and eyes, and at others bystrings, in either of which cases it requires much time and trouble toremove and replace them, and they are liable from the constant changeand removal of the coat or jacket to become loose, soiled, and broken.

My invention, to be used in connection with a shoulder strap or knot,consists in a frame or plate of suitable material made with a nut toreceive a screw, and with points to penctrate and prevent the strap orknot from turning 5 there is an eyelet through the coat or jacket, and awasher of metal or other suitable material at the under side.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a section of the shoulder-strap in place,and Fig. 2 is the under .side of the plate of the shoulder-strap.

The plate or frame a can be of a size and shape adapted to the shoulderstrap or knot, and a row of holes is provided around the edge so thatthe cloth covering and ornaments can be attached. Near the center of theplate a is a nut, I), and on the under surface of said plate there arepins 0 c projecting downward; four'of such pins are shown. The screw 0has a flat head, and the body of the screw passes through the washer iand the cloth is of the coat or jacket into the nut b. The hole inthecloth for the screw 6 may have a metallic eyelet, or be worked with silkor thread, and it will be understood that the shoulder strap or knot maybe removed by unscrewing the screw 0, or securely held by replacing thescrew, and that the washer a} clamps the cloth against the pins 0sufficiently to prevent the shoulder strap or knot turning.

I am aware that epaulets have been attached by means of metallic loopssliding upon -pins in the epaulet and passing through eyelets in thecoat. In this case two openings with me tallic eyelets were required,the same being more costly and also disfiguring the coat when theepaulet is removed. By myimprovement the shoulder strap, knot, orepaulet, is very firmly secured by one screw, and a considerable extentof cloth is clamped between the washer and frame so as not to injure thecloth by strain thereupon.

I claim as my inventionv The nut b and pins 0 upon the plate or frame ofa shoulder-strap or shouldenknot', in combination with the washeri andscrew e, as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed by me this 16th day of October, 1872.

JAMES C. MERRITT. Witnesses:

SILAs W. HAIGHT, CHARLES A. PURDY.

